The present invention is concerned with certain trans-3-[3-(3-hydroxy-2-piperidyl)-2-oxopropyl]thieno-[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3 H)-one and furo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one derivatives, a method of using same as anticoccidial agents, intermediates therefor, and a process for certain intermediates therefor.
Coccidiosis, a poultry disease, is caused by several species of protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria, such as E. acervulina and E. tenella. In particular, E. tenella is the causative agent of a severe and often fatal infection of the ceca of chickens which is manifested by extensive hemorrhage, accumulation of blood in the ceca and the passage of blood in the droppings. Essentially, coccidiosis is an intestinal disease which is disseminated by birds picking up the infectious organism in droppings on contaminated litter or ground. By damaging the intestinal wall, the host animal is unable to utilize its food, goes off its feed, and in untreated cases the disease terminates in either the death of the animal or the survival of unthrifty birds known commonly as "culls".
Several classes of compounds have been reported to be useful as anticoccidial agents. Among these are various 6-azauracil derivatives (Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,888; summarizing several addition classes); trans-3-[3-(3-hydroxy-2-piperidyl)-2-oxopropyl]-4(3H)-quinazolinone (febrifugine; The Merck Index, Tenth Edition, monograph No. 3881); and trans-7-bromo-6-chloro-3-[3-(3-hydroxy-2-piperidyl)-2-oxopropyl]-4(3H)-qui nazolinone (halofuginone; The Merck Index, Tenth Edition, monograph No. 4479).